I love to play around with real food in the kitchen. My experiments don't always turn out successfully, though, especially when it comes to baking. But I've kinda nailed it here, so hear me out on the Protein Surprise Cookies. Nobody who tried these cookies could guess the secret ingredient....beans! I had cooked some white beans (cannellini, I think) in the instant pot and they were overdone and mushy. Not exactly ideal for the Fancy Lunch Bowls I had planned to use them for. I had made incredibly rich & yummy chickpea cookies a while back so I knew a legume would work in a cookie, but I wasn't sure how a white bean would taste. Turns out, moist and delicious! I love how these cookies have all the properties of a healthy snack: protein, healthy fat, and fiber, while also satisfying my sweet tooth and chocolate affinity :) I hope you enjoy them as much as my family has!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans (or use a 15 oz can, drained and well rinsed)

3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

1 Tbsp almond butter*

1 Tbsp vanilla powder (or use pure vanilla extract)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp powdered ginger

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp apple cider vinegar (raw)

1/2 cup raw cacao nibs

*I didn't actually use almond butter...but I think it would be a lovely addition. I'm going to add it next time I make these!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Place beans, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and almond butter (if using) on a blender or food processor.

Blend until smooth. You will likely need to stop your machine several times to scrape down the edges and mix with a spatula. Even with a vitamix I needed to do this.

Add the cinnamon, ginger, salt, coconut sugar, oat flour, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar and blend again until smooth, again stopping the machine as often as needed to 'encourage' the batter to smooth out using a spatula.

Add the raw cacao nibs and process gently until they are incorporated but not totally smooth - it's nice to have some crunchy texture.

Drop by the tablespoonful onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 18 minutes. Makes about 20 cookies.